Circus Animals

TAVARES -- An unusual circus-animal compound proposed for a site off State Road 44 is prompting opposition from neighbors worried about lions and tigers running loose in their rural neighborhood. Eugene Calabrese, who owns Jungleland in Kissimmee, is asking for permission to use a small portion of his secluded 39-acre tract for the "housing and care of circus animals and equipment" and a "winter home" for the L.E. Barnes circus family, according to his permit application. County planners issued a report Friday urging Lake officials to reject the request.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Authorities in Savannah say a truck driver has been cited after a trailer containing eight circus animals became unhitched on a highway. Authorities said late Monday that Michael K. Ramos of Riverview near Tampa , was charged with driving too fast for conditions, failing to maintain his lane and having an improper class license after the accident on Interstate 516. Police say Ramos hit a sign, which dislodged the trailer containing animals performing in the UniverSoul Circus.

TAVARES -- Opponents of a circus-animal compound in northeast Lake won a victory Wednesday after a county advisory board recommended against allowing lions, tigers and RVs on a 39-acre parcel. The after-the-fact request from Eugene Calabrese, who also owns Jungleland in Kissimmee, prompted strong opposition from neighbors, many of whom live in the nearby Royal Trails community. Neighbors told the county's Planning and Zoning Commission they're not just worried about the animals getting loose and making noise.

Two goats and a llama escaped from a circus early this morning but were found nearby in the parking lot of the Maywood Park Racetrack near west suburb Melrose Park. Sam Pitassi, the police chief of Melrose Park, said the department received a call at about 3:30 a.m. from a passerby who saw the animals grazing on a patch of grass in the parking lot. The Piccadilly Circus set up shop in the parking lot this week and is planning to have shows under the big top through Aug. 26. "They (the animals)

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Authorities in Savannah say a truck driver has been cited after a trailer containing eight circus animals became unhitched on a highway. Authorities said late Monday that Michael K. Ramos of Riverview near Tampa , was charged with driving too fast for conditions, failing to maintain his lane and having an improper class license after the accident on Interstate 516. Police say Ramos hit a sign, which dislodged the trailer containing animals performing in the UniverSoul Circus.

Two goats and a llama escaped from a circus early this morning but were found nearby in the parking lot of the Maywood Park Racetrack near west suburb Melrose Park. Sam Pitassi, the police chief of Melrose Park, said the department received a call at about 3:30 a.m. from a passerby who saw the animals grazing on a patch of grass in the parking lot. The Piccadilly Circus set up shop in the parking lot this week and is planning to have shows under the big top through Aug. 26. "They (the animals)

Asking "Is it inhumane to have wild animals perform circus tricks?" exploits the prejudicial view that circus people are inhumane and that "circus tricks" -- and the methods used to teach circus animals -- differ in a negative way from those observed in other environments. Animal trainers in circuses, zoos and theme parks use the same methods to educate their animals: behavior modification and operant conditioning providing positive reinforcement for repetition of desired behavior. Performing animals respond to their trainers by reproducing natural behaviors such as walking, sitting, leaping or rolling over on command.

As a third-generation animal lover and trainer, my firsthand experience says that, overall, wild animals do fine in circuses and other exhibitions. Many of the wild animals in circuses are second- and third-generation captive bred, and would likely not survive in the wild. Studies conducted by recognized experts indicate that circus animals do not find their lives stressful, and may even thrive on the lifestyle. I appreciate the sincere concerns about the treatment of animals. Our family considers itself an animal-welfare advocate.

In his Sunday letter to the editor, Wayne Todd implies that circus animals have "the easy life" and that PETA should leave them in their blissful state. We can only assume that Todd would: 1. Prefer to spend the rest of his life behind bars. 2. Sit in the cage and contemplate the urine and feces he deposited. 3. Prefer the company of said urine and feces to the companionship of the opposite sex. The circus is always looking for oddities. Todd should volunteer. Over his cage would read: Wayne Todd.

Applause Academy presents `Circus Circus,' a `Musi-kid-al' production that will showcase 24 of the academy's 4-to-9-year-old students Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Students will be dressed as clowns, acrobats, circus animals, tightrope walkers and strongmen. They will sing and dance to songs that include `When the Circus Comes to Our Town,' `The Mane Event,' `Clowning Around' and `Sad Clown.' The plot unfolds with a slight problem at the play's circus: The ringmaster has laryngitis. But the rest of the circus performers -- clowns, jugglers, dancing bears and lions -- take over and save the day. Luralee Anderson, one of the founders of Applause Academy and director of Musi-kid-al Productions, is pegged to direct `Circus Circus.

Construction walls came down around two new Magic Kingdom attractions today. The next few days will be for cast-member training on the new "double Dumbo" ride, a Disney World spokesman said. Guests might be filtered into the ride as part of that training, but it is not expected to be open to the public this weekend. However, the Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak station welcomed guests Friday afternoon. The centerpiece of the water-play area is the little locomotive pulling circus animals.

He'll attend the circus when it's humans only Regarding the recent article "Ringling looking for big talent in ringmaster tryouts in Orlando" (OrlandoSentinel.com, Tuesday): It's ironic that the 10 people who showed up for the ringmaster auditions were excited about joining the circus; not one of the animal performers ever chose to be there. On the contrary, many circus animals have attempted to escape the beatings, traveling, unnatural stunts and loneliness they face every day of their lives.

A federal judge has dismissed a decade-old lawsuit against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus that alleged its employees abused elephants and violated an endangered-animals act. The judge said the allegations did not have merit. The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to end the long and bitter battle came only weeks after another animal-rights group filed similar complaints against the circus with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Former circus employee Tom Rider and four animals-rights groups, including the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute, filed in July 2000.

Applause Academy presents `Circus Circus,' a `Musi-kid-al' production that will showcase 24 of the academy's 4-to-9-year-old students Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Students will be dressed as clowns, acrobats, circus animals, tightrope walkers and strongmen. They will sing and dance to songs that include `When the Circus Comes to Our Town,' `The Mane Event,' `Clowning Around' and `Sad Clown.' The plot unfolds with a slight problem at the play's circus: The ringmaster has laryngitis. But the rest of the circus performers -- clowns, jugglers, dancing bears and lions -- take over and save the day. Luralee Anderson, one of the founders of Applause Academy and director of Musi-kid-al Productions, is pegged to direct `Circus Circus.

Asking "Is it inhumane to have wild animals perform circus tricks?" exploits the prejudicial view that circus people are inhumane and that "circus tricks" -- and the methods used to teach circus animals -- differ in a negative way from those observed in other environments. Animal trainers in circuses, zoos and theme parks use the same methods to educate their animals: behavior modification and operant conditioning providing positive reinforcement for repetition of desired behavior. Performing animals respond to their trainers by reproducing natural behaviors such as walking, sitting, leaping or rolling over on command.

As a third-generation animal lover and trainer, my firsthand experience says that, overall, wild animals do fine in circuses and other exhibitions. Many of the wild animals in circuses are second- and third-generation captive bred, and would likely not survive in the wild. Studies conducted by recognized experts indicate that circus animals do not find their lives stressful, and may even thrive on the lifestyle. I appreciate the sincere concerns about the treatment of animals. Our family considers itself an animal-welfare advocate.

The Bahia Temple Orlando Shrine Circus will return to town with performances Tuesday through next Sunday at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive in Orlando.Headlining the 21-act show will be Brunon Blaszak, an animal tamer; Carter Brown, a hoop juggler; Miser, Howle & Co., trampoline acrobats; Dino Goldfinger, hand balancer; and Jordan's Globe of Death, where two motorcyclists maneuver inside a huge steel-mesh globe. The circus also will include clowns and circus animals.

TAVARES -- In a move that delighted neighbors and environmentalists, county commissioners Tuesday denied a request for a controversial circus-animal compound in the Wekiva River Protection Area. Eugene Calabrese, owner of Jungleland in Kissimmee, was seeking after-the-fact approval for a project that neighbors said would disrupt their quiet rural lifestyle. Neighbors complained about noise from Calabrese's lions and tigers and said they were worried about the animals escaping. A 450-pound lion got loose from Jungleland in 1997.

A long-standing feud over circus animals darted in a different direction this week when the Lake County Commission agreed to rezone a controversial piece of rural property -- on the condition the owner doesn't cart in a herd of lions, buffaloes and camels. On its surface, Tuesday's commission decision does little. Eugene Calabrese, owner of the recently closed JungleLand Zoo in Kissimmee, can now turn 40 acres of northeast Lake County property into farmland. But to neighbor Bill Petrey, the ruling means his peace of mind is in danger.

The traditional animal walk announcing the arrival of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Orlando is tentatively scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. That's when the animals are expected to be led from a train, which will stop several blocks south of Church Street Station, to the TD Waterhouse Centre. Craig O'Neil, a spokesman for the Orlando Centroplex, said the time and date are tentative because of the train schedule and the animals' daily schedules. After unloading on Ernestine Street, the circus caravan will travel 10 blocks north on Garland Avenue and turn west on Amelia Street for its final trek to the TD Waterhouse.